City hosts Welcoming Week Celebration

Join City leaders and the Minneapolis Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs for a celebration of Minneapolis' rich immigrant and refugee communities as part of Welcoming America's national Welcome Week. Minneapolis will host this year's Welcoming Week celebration at The Commons near U.S. Bank Stadium on Friday, Sept. 21, from 3:30-7 p.m. Organized in partnership with Carry-on Homes, the Minneapolis Welcoming Week celebration will feature live performance, music and spoken word, food trucks, art exhibitions, pickup soccer and more.

Minneapolis joins Welcoming Cities network

The City of Minneapolis recently joined a cohort of cities and counties from around the Country to become a Welcoming City. A Welcoming City is one which is an inclusive community and believes that prosperity comes when everyone feels like they belong. It is the belief that all people, including immigrants, should be valued contributors and are vital to the success of both our communities and our shared future.

City's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs

In 2018, the City of Minneapolis established The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) with the goal of ensuring that Minneapolis is a safe and welcoming place for all. The OIRA office is housed within the Department of Neighborhood and Community Relations, and supports our One Minneapolis goal to “eliminate disparities so that all Minneapolis can participate and prosper." As NCR, OIRA will work with existing cultural engagement staff. Learn more at OIRA's website.

In February 2017, the City Council directed City staff to establish a task force to bring forward a set of recommendations to strengthen city-level policies, programs and resources the City can offer to better protect and defend undocumented immigrant families, Muslim residents and other targeted groups from acts of bigotry and hate, and the rights of refugees from unjust persecution.

The Council also directed the City Coordinator’s Office to continue discussions with the Minneapolis Foundation and other funders, in partnership with the Mayor's Office, to create a local immigration legal defense fund, designed in partnership with immigration service providers. Staff has recommended providing funding to the Volunteer Lawyers Network and the Advocates for Human Rights. The City Attorney, in cooperation with the Mayor, was also directed to review the President’s January 2017 Executive Orders for the purpose of potential litigation and defense strategies to protect the rights of the City of Minneapolis and its residents.

Minneapolis Police Department

The Minneapolis Police Department adheres to the City's separation ordinance: "Public safety officials shall not undertake any law enforcement action for the purpose of detecting the presence of undocumented persons, or to verify immigration status, including but not limited to question any person or persons about their immigration status."

ASISTA: ASISTA's goal is to provide national leadership, advocacy, training and technical assistance to those working with crime survivors seeking secure immigration status, especially those who have suffered gender-based violence.

National Immigrant Law Center: NILC is one of the leading organizations in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of low-income immigrants.

Hotline to report hate crimes

Call 311 from inside Minneapolis or 612-673-3000

Through its 311 service, the City of Minneapolis has opened a new hotline for reporting hate crimes. The hotline number is 311 for anyone calling from within the city or 612-673-3000 statewide. The 311 hotline will be answered 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. weekends. Those with a report to make can also call the Department of Justice at 612-664-5600. As always, in the case of immediate physical violence, property damage or threats, people should call 911.

Hate crimes

A hate crime is any crime against a person or property motivated by prejudice against someone's race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity. This includes prejudice-motivated property damage (including graffiti), stalking and assault.

Minneapolis is committed to human rights and racial equity for everyone who lives in, works in and visits our city. Several organizations in Minnesota--Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, City of Saint Paul Equal Opportunity Office and the Minnesota FBI--are working together to ensure all Minnesotans feel safe and welcome. Over the past several months, the partners have worked to increase community access to information and resources necessary to address issues of discrimination.

Discrimination

Discrimination is an action or a decision that treats a person or a group negatively for reasons such as their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity. If you, your family or someone you know experiences discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, LGBT status or other protected classes, or has been the victim of police misconduct, please call 612-673-3012 or visit ww.minneapolismn.gov/civilrights.

QUICK LINKS

Accessibility: For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats, contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.